


Of Shields and Superheroes

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Comedy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Taeyong is team iron man, Yuta is team cap, civil war nonsense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 03:52:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7027375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's no logic behind locking two people who deliberately want to kill each other in the dorm with a view to teach them a lesson on getting along, but Johnny carries it out anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Shields and Superheroes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kkeutkkaji](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkeutkkaji/gifts).



> for big sis Jules, thank you for everything I love you  
> a happy alternative to give me love. civil war references. fun stuff.

"It seems; you two have broken your interpersonal barriers and are in a state of extreme political unfriendliness-"

"You mean cold war?" TaeYong questions, though only doing so to revive some life into the robotic conversation. He hadn't expected the manager would end up with getting _Wendy_ to interview them for this compatibility-test or whatever. He and Yuta had failed last time, leading to being roommates and clearly the setting hadn't helped much, resulting in a second compatibility test.

"She means civil war," Yuta butts in, flashing a condescending look in Taeyong's direction, steady and unchanged even when the elder is snaring back in rage.

"Dimwit no one asked you a thing. And political unfriendliness? What the actual fu-"

"TaeYong I was going by definition and I do not mean civil war Yuta," Wendy replies, not lifting her eyes from the paper she was handed, she wonders why the manager hadn't actually got a proper therapist to do the job. With the way TaeYong and Yuta are testing her sanity, she's just going to settle for ticking all the 'no' boxes.

Yuta is unimpressed with the way these few minutes of therapy are progressing. He's got a Disneyland trip to pack for, therapy time isn't really on his agenda at the moment and neither is spending an hour in the same room with TaeYong. He's quite glad there exist things called different units.

Yuta folds his hands and leans forward, sliding away from TaeYong seated on the couch beside him, "Okay let's get this straight-"

TaeYong snickers randomly, "LOL"

"Why do you fall in the category of people who verbally use text abbreviations just...ew."

"Your vocab tears me up Yuta."

Yuta doesn't have the bandwidth to deal with TaeYong or fight with him at present. He's got his nails manicured and he couldn't let his perfect little babies anywhere near TaeYong that'd be a disgrace.

"Can I cut him and throw him in the ocean? Please tell me that's legal," he implores, eyes hopeful as he looks at his noona.

"Unfortunately it isn't Yuta. This is a therapy session. Which I'm forced to do, so can you two boys cooperate?"

"I'M TOUCHED YUTA I'LL BECOME CAPTAIN SOUTH KOREA AND MY PEGGY-"

"Agent Carter, have some respect."

Wendy gives up on them. She can't really ask them to take it elsewhere, she has to question them for an hour. That's how long the three are to be locked into the living room as per the manager's instructions. Mostly hunger and the need for a serene environment stimulates her next action: hastily fill up the blanks with bogus.

"Why did you two start fighting?"

And for a second or so, the two boys stop yelling and let go of each other's fistfuls of pulled hair from their hands.

They share a look, as if on cue. Wendy hopes it serves as realisation that they're being complete immature idiots and should quickly resolve their differences but instead TaeYong is looking at Yuta- more like staring without a blink in between and for a second, a look flashes in between and they snap their heads front.

"We're different," comes a unanimous chirp.

"And you think that's valid to support your everyday brawls?"

"The word has a wide implication noona! Just take it as we're always on opposite camps," TaeYong grumbles.

Wendy cocks an eyebrow. "Elaborate."

Yuta coughs before beginning, "I beat his ass at soccer so bad he practiced for ages to beat me at basketball just to snatch my pride and place it in his prideless hollow."

Before Wendy can note 'Baseless competitiveness' down, TaeYong intrudes enthusiastically, "He believes Captain America is the best Avenger, I mean rofl the guy has absolutely no character complexities and if he just cuts Barnes' head off the world would be free from a massive amount of stup-"

"THERE IS A FUCKING BIO WEAPON OUT THERE AND WHAT'S YOUR TIN MAN DOING ABOUT IT? BEING A FUCKING CELEBRITY AND FUCK EVERYONE WHO THINKS IRON MAN IS COOL I MEAN Y'ALL 'I'M SO TECH AND MODERN' THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO HIM THERE'S NO FRIGGIN HEART IN THAT MAN"

TaeYong licks his lips, "Cap's got a tasteless outfit believe it."

"I DIDN'T SEE AN IRON SUIT ON THE RUNWAY AND WELL AT LEAST CAP DOESN'T HAVE A SKYROCKETING EGO LIKE AN ACTUAL SKYROCKETING EGOMANIAC"

"So TaeYong is on team iron man and you are not. I can see how that results in incompatibility..." Wendy drawls as she scribbles the final result of the session. TaeYong and Yuta then realise how grave the consequences of failing yet another time could be. They couldn't really risk the pain of parting with the newly begotten takoyaki or febreeze privileges now could they?

"But we sat together in the movie hall, if that gets us any plus grade?" TaeYong hurriedly lies and Yuta gives Wendy his million dollar smile.  
Wendy clicks her pen shut as she swaggers out of the room, "Absolutely"

 

 

 

Hansol walks in with the results and he's biting his lips. Yuta's mental siren goes off. _Not a good sign,_ he thinks as the saintly hyung protrudes his arm in TaeYong's direction but Johnny snatches the paper mid receipt and thwacks the other two '95 liners before they get a glimpse of it.

"FAIL"

"Did you have to say it for the universe to know?" TaeYong whines, rubbing his head.

"As punishment, we're going to Disneyland and you two will work on getting along," he says and Yuta thinks he's hallucinating or something but he so heard Nick Fury right now.

It really doesn't help how even Hansol looks pretty scary and mad at them as well.

"I'd jump out of the window and go with you guys," TaeYong says and Yuta has a fair idea that he's crazy enough to actually do it.

"I bolted everything," Hansol speaks, as if he's breathing fire. "You're stuck with each other this week."

Johnny slams the door shut.

"This is our signal,” TaeYong whispers secretively.

"To do what?"

"Wail like a banshee so they notice us."

"I have no patience for your shenanigans Lee TaeYong."

 

 

 

 

Curling up and tucking his head under the blanket, Yuta curses his inability to win rock-paper-scissors for the bed. He's got his sound cancelling ear phones right by his side because he doesn't want to hear the group chant before they all leave for Florida tomorrow. Other people cannot be happy when he's getting shit.

"My mom was never this mean when I got an F in science," he whines to himself.

TaeYong pipes in from his place on the bed. "I told you to wail like a banshee. And you're so dumb you got an F in science lol"

"The wailing idea was stupid! And could you stop that..."

"Grammar police"

"I'm trying to improve, okay? Gimme a break-"

"Dolian"

"I fucking hate you"

"You bore me with that information Yuta"

 

 

 

  
And the multitude of betraying members leave, with none having the guts to stand up for either of them. Ten has his way with Johnny, but he didn't bother protesting. This might have something to do with TaeYong and Yuta talking their fistfight to the bathroom in which Johnny and Ten were making out once.

 _Traitor,_ TaeYong and Yuta snared as they watched the van depart, disappearing soon.

 

 

 

  
Ignorance is Yuta's new best friend as he spends his entire day watching cute puppy videos on YouTube and exhausting the WiFi because well conversing with TaeYong is one of the last things he wants to do. His stomach gives a timely growl declaring its empty status and just when he moves his fingers to type in 'How to cook a decent edible meal with leftovers' the connectivity decides to betray him and his sworn enemy waltzes out of Jisung's room. _God knows why he feels the need to dance everywhere,_ Yuta wonders as he ignores him but then he hears clanking and banging of pots and pans and in a second TaeYong emerges from the kitchen with a huge bowl of pasta.

_I'm so hungry, I'm drooling._

TaeYong walks to the sofa Yuta's sitting on, the pasta bowl in his hands and sits beside him. Yuta grabs a spoon to have a bite because that smells delicious but TaeYong forks it away from touching his food.

Yuta stares at him, baffled, "Dude what the hell?"

TaeYong sticks his nose up and stares down at Yuta, "Cook your own."

"No I'm hungry, I fucking bought this pasta how could you-" Yuta says, simultaneously thinking TaeYong has no such function for sharing he shouldn't really expect anything from him. Nonetheless, he tries to get his spoon to get past the annoying obstruction called Lee TaeYong and they're actually cutlery fencing to win the linguine.

 _I have my last technique, stomach I will not disappoint you,_ he thinks.

TaeYong gets a bit distracted once Yuta puckers his lips. Yuta takes it as his cue to snatch the plate away and run to Doyoung's room, laughing maniacally as if high on helium and sits to eat his food, locking the door behind after slamming it on TaeYong's perfect face.

"Score!" 

 

 

 

  
Besides a horrible week waiting ahead of him, Yuta curses the fact that every possible room he enters has a worst temperature and an air conditioner that hates him too. The last place he goes to is the room in which TaeYong is sleeping soundly and quite like a corpse with a neat little duvet. How can people even be this prim and proper, Yuta thinks and slaps him awake.

"This is the only room with a functioning AC move your tin box ass," he growls.

"Go sleep in the living room. And me wearing iron man shorts doesn't make my ass metallic," comes a very sleepy reply from TaeYong.

"You're missing the opportunity of the spooning of a lifetime I'd like you to reconsider this," Yuta propositions and TaeYong gets up to stare at him, looking very mortified at that last sentence.

Surprisingly he shifts to his right, making space for Yuta but it's not that much, Yuta would still be very close to him and the idea is...weird?

Yuta nervously sits down and slides under the covers. Awkward.

"Good night," Yuta says, not really adjusting to the fact that TaeYong had let him sleep beside him when he'd expected he was going to sleep in the living room.

TaeYong mumbles some sleepy response and Yuta can feel him turn and twist uncomfortably beside him though he's facing the other side.

Once TaeYong hugs him from behind, arms serpentine and loosely sprawled over Yuta's waist, there's a very noticeable moment in which Yuta's breath stops.

_Holy shit no._

"Your heartbeat's real fast right now d'you notice that?" TaeYong comments casually, and Yuta is waiting for the moment when he's going to burst with a joke like 'hey Yuta do you know when the heart beats fast? It's when you're in loooooooove' but instead of that TaeYong only hums and he presses his face into the junction between Yuta's neck and shoulder, relaxing, and all the heat concentrates on Yuta's face at these little things.

"This isn't normal," Yuta says but that doesn't even sound like a complaint.

"I'm letting you sleep on my bed so keep quiet or I'll kick you out, I'm thinking," TaeYong says, his lips moving as his speaks, over Yuta's neck, making him shiver from being sensitive.

"About what, the origin of mankind? Fantastic, now a power outage," Yuta says and gets up, irritated at his luck when he sees the faint lights from behind the window curtain go out.

TaeYong pulls him back down and holds him tighter, "The room is still cold," he whispers and Yuta wishes he didn't hear the longing in his voice.

"You're really stubborn, no wonder you're on that awful team-"

"At least I'm not like cap," TaeYong berates and Yuta tries hard to calm his breaths after TaeYong's clear deep voice shakes it erratic.

As if he senses the question mark that Yuta has in his mind, TaeYong explains, "If I was cap, I guess I'd let Tony know about his parents."

"I don't believe you," is what Yuta says after a thoughtful moment of silence.

Before TaeYong can ask him to clarify, Yuta is already continuing, "You keep hiding things from everyone. You can't lie, I see it and now you're all talking about how you're willing to put a person's feelings on the top priority lane and I'm sorry if I find it really hard to believe."

"I...don't hide anything from you," TaeYong says and Yuta spins around, the elder tightens his grip on him once he moves, fearing he might slip away.

"Why is your heart beating loudly? And why have you always excluded me from any of the times you decide on going out with everyone? Why do you always avoid me? Why-"

"Okay you can stop. That's just genuine dislike for you-"

"Or is it something else? Because if it was then we wouldn't be like this right now, hating each other and drastically paired up to spend a hellish week- it wouldn't be so much of a torture if you-"

"If I what?"

"Told me why you always push me away from you- because come on, I know you're a Captain America fan I saw the posters under your bed. Why do you purposely oppose me? Always?"

TaeYong huffs, his head heats up since he wants nothing more right now than Yuta to stop talking. "You're asking too many questions Yuta-"

"Do you like me or something? Because the thought is hilarious but you're really acting like you do and-"

"Shut up"

"Denial"

"I said shut up, I hate you. There's nothing more," he spits out but Yuta keeps is gaze steady.

_Are you sure about that?_

 

 

 

  
The first thing that greets Yuta's eyes is TaeYong's half open mouth snoring besides making other ugly sounds and he looks so adorable that Yuta closes his eyes and goes to back to sleep before he punches him for being so cute.

_Waking up in TaeYong's arms isn't so bad..._

The second time he wakes up, TaeYong's missing from his side. He wonders if he'd left for someplace and grabs a blanket to pull over his shoulder before he searches all rooms for him.

_‘Sup, Yuta it's your conscience and I've come to point out that you're being extremely desperate looking for TaeYong, you hate him. This is wrong.’_

Yuta almost wants to blame too much manga when moments like these happen, he's already got an inner Sakura duplicate thanks to too much Naruto. The moment Yuta turns to his right, he sees TaeYong bending back with a spatula between his lips, Yuta's relieved eyes meet TaeYong's shining one's.

"Hey," Yuta says with a reticent smile on his face. The spatula drops from TaeYong's mouth. _We're supposed to be fighting, who allowed you to be cute?_

"Hi," he replies hesitantly, fumbling with the shitload of stuff he'd just prepared and trying to pick the spatula up. Yuta approaches and helps him to ease his multi-tasking brain. _Is he making rice cakes?_

"Thanks," TaeYong says as Yuta hands him a chopping board, "I tried making something taste this," and Yuta dips his pinky to have a taste.

"It's good," Yuta tells him, giving a characteristic thumbs up, "I like it," he says but his mind is running in spirals.

_Good job with your incredibly sexy domestic skills- now I need to run away from you now before I do something stupid like ask if you made it for me and that's stupid because you hate me why would you do that and I hate you why would I even want you to cook me breakfast at all?_

"When did you wake up?" Yuta asks, thinking uselessly questioning is one way of normalising the awkward aura hanging in between them.  
TaeYong keeps his hands busy, preoccupied with chopping as he answers, "I...couldn't really sleep well. I guess I was mean to you yesterday and I'm sorry-"  
Yuta interrupts him. "Is there anything to apologise for? At all? If you dislike me it's okay I got nothing to say against it, it's not like I want you to change your opinion about me."

TaeYong's head turns to him, guilt heavy and seeping making Yuta want to take back his harsh words, "Yuta," TaeYong whispers in protest and Yuta's heart melts at the sound.

_How do you do this to me?_

"I think you should take it off the stove," Yuta says, in spite of having negligible idea about cooking. But he needs to say something to divert TaeYong's attention from him, he feels under lockdown, that's how TaeYong's earnest gaze gets him.

Everytime. "I found the combination to the lock on the door from Hansol-hyung's room so, I'm gonna go for a walk around the place," he tells him and steps away to avoid further questions.

"What about breakfast?"

And this is the question that really has Yuta wanting to turn around and hug him either for sounding like a beaten up puppy he wants to console or for how he shouldn't have done nice things like making breakfast for Yuta.

 _Or maybe it's a trap..._ his conscience warns him. _That's more like him,_ Yuta agrees.

"Aren't you having breakfast?" TaeYong asks again.

"Snickers," Yuta says getting a handful out of the reservoir of handy snacks from his pockets, the food in the pan sizzles loudly as he sees on TaeYong's face the most pathetic expression of the century as Yuta adds salt to the wound, "You made that for yourself didn't you?"

TaeYong looks down sadly and Yuta wants to apologise but then TaeYong's nag face makes an appearance, "At least brush your teeth."

"Did I tell you I hate you?"

 

 

 

  
"Am I stupid for assuming he likes me back?" TaeYong voices out his thoughts once he's done trashing the lot he'd cooked for Yuta. He bangs his head slightly against the exhaust fan. _Yup. Confirmed. It was stupid of me, Yuta hates my guts._

 _But he almost got me last night,_ he thinks but suddenly smiles, reminded that Yuta spent an hour sleep-screaming about a giant octopus monster threatening an island but the story ended adorably in some little hero named Yuta saving the day. TaeYong had really wanted to say, 'You're a narcissist even in your sleep!' but then his sleepless night was because of that one contented smile spreading across Yuta's face.

Even now, he couldn't quite push it out of his mind.

A light flashes on his face jerking him back to the present and out of his thoughts.

TaeYong grimaces at Yuta, "Where'd you get that?"

Yuta dusts the camera he's holding and pulls out a Polaroid, "I've always wondered what stuff Johnny keeps in his room so," he looks at the picture, "Hmm neat. And you're strangely glowing in this picture- weirdo. What were you thinking about right now?"

_You._

"Nothing?"

"Very well," Yuta says unconvinced and pulls out things from huge paper bags that had appeared on the dining table. "I bought some stuff. I'll try to cook lunch for us today."

"No thank you," TaeYong hurriedly says even though he's containing his joy at the word 'us' and that's hella sappy n' all but at least Yuta is getting that singularity out of his mind.

"And why is that?" Yuta asks almost like a snaring Medusa, his body language is screaming DETECTED: OFFENDED. MIGHT EXPLODE. MAINTAIN YOUR DISTANCE.

"No offence, but you cook poison," TaeYong confesses because everything he makes is basically oil soup.  
Yuta huffs he's trying his downward patronising stare but it doesn't work since with shoes, TaeYong towers over that once centimetre difference.

"Even better," he snickers, "I'll make the best poison for you."

And the kitchen door shuts rather ominously.

TaeYong assumes now is the time to write down emotional letters to his family and friends lest he should die by food poisoning.

 

 

 

  
"What the..."

"If you dare comment anything I will chop you"

"Why does this thing look like a dragon I mean- did I see something _move?_ And why are all these things so finely chopped this is noodles but looks like a damn puree what even-"

"I said I will chop you, I'm holding a teriyaki knife"

"You can't cook. This is not even edible it's too salty"

"...so?"

"I'm not eating it"

"But...TaeYong"

"Takeout is the best option, should we order pizza?"

"For lunch?"

"Yeah. 'Cause I sure as hell am not eating that."

"Die in a world where there are no air fresheners."

"Stop cursing me."

 

 

 

  
_He's...sulking?_

After TaeYong's refusal to eat his enormous bowl of noodles or some unknown cuisine TaeYong couldn't figure out, ("You call yourself a good cook but you have no sense!" "You can't eat it okay! It's not healthy!") Yuta did not even look at the pizza TaeYong was gorging on, choosing to rather crouch in a corner and scroll down the dead twitter feed repeatedly. Pitiable, if not anything else.

"Hey Yuta," TaeYong pokes him with his toe, still eating the delicious pizza.

"What is it, you heartless asshole," Yuta growls. TaeYong sighs completely tired with Yuta's childishness, "Eat something"

"No I don't want to," Yuta says firmly and TaeYong shrugs, "Fine suit yourself, I think I won't get anything for dinner this is too much."

"Whatever"

All's peaceful and well, and TaeYong is very satisfied with the progress, considering if he can't make Yuta stop mentally castrating him, he can at least make an effort to shut him out. I could've eaten that thing he made, it didn't taste half bad. At around midnight, misfortune waits to strike, the streets are quiet, darkness prevails and...

The smoke alarm goes off.

TaeYong thinks he's seems pretty insane screaming like strangled hen after the smell of smoke woke him up from the bed but then something else is screaming like a strangled hen somewhere.

From the kitchen. And there's smoke too.

"YUTA WHAT ARE YOU DOING"

"I...burnt the fish?"

"FUCK TURN THE STOVE OFF!"

"HOW DO YOU TURN IT OFF?"

 

 

 

  
"Why are you being nice?" Yuta says when TaeYong allows him a rest from the rigorous scrubbing session in order to clean the kitchen. Yuta finds a stool and stares at TaeYong's back as he pulls out some ingredients from the cabinets- obviously to cook something.

But this time Yuta's sure, that he's cooking for him. He's quite flattered, but there's a part of him that feels guilty for burdening TaeYong.

"I don't want you to burn the entire building and for the love of god couldn't you have eaten anything earlier? Did you want me to hold up a spoon and feed you like a baby gets fed or what?"

Yuta remains silent at TaeYong's scolding, he's unconsciously pouting since he hadn't had anyone yell at him for a long time.

_Maybe I did._

Yuta cannot believe he just admitted it.

_Maybe I've been thinking of impossible things...like you spooning me which would not be under an excuse for sleeping comfortably, what holding hands with you feels like- what it feels like to know you._

"There," TaeYong pushes the plateful of something that looks good enough to win masterchef, "Eat it and go to sleep immediately."

Yuta falls down after he gets up to drag the plate towards himself.

TaeYong does nothing for a whole minute, thinking of it as an act. "Really now, you're gonna pretend to faint? Somebody's really desperate today..."

"It's a fucking foot cramp, don't get so full of yourself."

"...I'm sorry"

"I hate you. Now help me up, will you?"

 

 

 

  
One of the things about TaeYong that Yuta doesn't hate, is that in the face of a member becoming unwell- he really turns into the sweetest human being on earth. You could get diabetes from being around him.

Yuta's is thoroughly enjoying his royal treatment, his foot resting on a super soft cushion, he's got TaeYong's favourite pink blanket around him (which he never lets a soul touch) and the best part, TaeYong's feeding him the scrumptious meal he's just cooked for him.

"You're such a pampered kid," TaeYong hisses as he spoon feeds Yuta.

"You're pampering me, CONTINUE THIS IS AWESOME," the younger almost yells excitedly and unexpectedly TaeYong laughs at his enthusiasm. Yuta would've joined in, had he not been so occupied staring at how TaeYong's eyes turned into shiny crescents and just how he seems warm instead of the winter-soldier face he usually has.

TaeYong pushes another spoonful of the unnamed delicacy into his mouth and Yuta tries to look at the clock- nope too scary right now, or the door- also scary, or just anything that keeps his mind from returning back to thinking about TaeYong. And the fact that TaeYong is also staring at him, is downright creepy and strangely making him blush too.

"It's 2 a.m," TaeYong says, dangling his arm behind the sofa. Yuta curses his head because most Taylor Swift songs have this '2 a.m' thing and now he's wondering if some magical 2 a.m stuff happens, well it must be the hour of romance or something because Taylor never lies. He'd decided never to date until fifteen and that's probably the best decision of his life, to point out how much he values her lyrical advice.

Moving from his musicologist brain to reality, it _is_ 2 a.m, he's sitting beside TaeYong who's feeding him food and he's leaning towards him in way that doesn't seem to comply with the fact that a few days ago they were nearly manufacturing laser shooters to kill each other.

Like an arrow to Yuta's haphazard thoughts TaeYong's gigantic yawny mouth elicits an operatic yawn and Yuta smiles, his mouth forming a huge grin.

Probably a minute later, Yuta realises he can no longer find a legit reason to hate him. He thought he'd never let TaeYong's ever-present charm get to him but he understands the guy has certain endearing qualities.

"What're you smiling so much about, eh? Oh I see," TaeYong stops to take a breath before speaking as something about Yuta's infectious smile's got his chest feeling heavier. "You're enjoying torturing me way too much and- you are evil y'know that Yuta?"

Yuta lets out a laugh, he's holding the bowl in both his hands and TaeYong thinks his cheeks are the same colour as his blanket, which is just the right shade of pink and it almost seems impossible but Yuta continues with some very unusual words.

"It's not that. All of this- I mean you not being an asshole and a total prat to me-"

TaeYong raises an affronted eyebrow.

"-is really nice. You should let people see this side of you more often. You're kind..."

Yuta's conscience, much to his chagrin, fills in with 'tall, handsome as hell. He's so bad but he does it so-' _FUCKING SHUT UP TAYLOR THIS IS NOT THE TIME._

TaeYong folds his arms before his chest, clenching his fists, he doesn't want to show how he's affected by Yuta's clear voice piercing into him. Here he is, standing not two feet away from Yuta with every chance to rush over but then some things aren't just that easy to achieve. Yuta is still beaming up at him, that same stupid sparkle in his eye and that alternative shade in his hair brought out by the dim downlighter. _Don't say anything more,_ TaeYong thinks, holding himself back.

_Don't make me regret another time I didn't kiss you like I'd wanted to._

"Thanks for taking care of me. And I um...I really appreciate you being this sweet," Yuta says sincerely and resumes eating not really caring whether TaeYong replies or not and completely oblivious to how TaeYong is staring at his lips.

"Okay...you're-you're welcome, I guess I should leave you to-to..." TaeYong speaks nervously, forcing himself out of his thoughts.

"To finishing my early morning meal?" Yuta says, with a smile.

"Yeah. That. Exactly. Bye."

Yuta does stare at the door TaeYong slams behind him for a while and then turns back to slurp down his food almost squealing, since it was so good. As much as he wanted to share it with TaeYong, he really couldn't. But then said person decides to intervene his thoughts by growling from the other side of the bedroom door.

Yuta stares awkwardly. _Is it me or did he sound like the beast-_

TaeYong barges into the living room before Yuta, breathing loudly.

"Y'know the...room's really cold so...we can share the bed if you're okay with that...I mean it's-it's not really like I want you to share the bed with me or whatever but I just- I'M TRYING TO BE NICE DON'T GIMME THAT SLY SMILE"

Yuta smirks as he follows behind TaeYong once he's quickly done with his last bite.

"Tsundere."

 

 

 

  
Yuta wakes up in TaeYong's arms again.

He's not exactly complaining but he could tell himself that this time it's worse; TaeYong's face is inches from his and the magical beings responsible for the SM curse happen to have stolen or eaten the elder's shirt but those are less disturbing things about his morning position.

TaeYong wakes up, slowly and they're facing each other. Yuta holds his breath, letting go only when TaeYong looks back intently into his eyes. There's bright afternoon light enveloping the room, they did sleep that long, too tired from scrubbing the kitchen last night anyway.

What's worse is that TaeYong runs his fingers over his cheek, making every line he'd traced on Yuta's soft skin miss the contact so much.  
Yuta's on the verge of hyperventilating he doesn't know how to push TaeYong's hand away. More like too weak to push TaeYong's hand away, Yuta bites his bottom lip and stares. TaeYong smiles at him. "Good morning," comes his raspy voice and Yuta cannot control himself from returning the smile and he's leaning forward to give him an instinctive morning peck and TaeYong tilts his head forward to meet him halfway but then Yuta's conscience butts in.

Like literally butts in; enters into his mind butt first since he visualises his conscience as some movable Nicki Minaj figurine anyway.

_'You can't kiss someone you don't like! That's fundamental- I won't bother explaining further just don't kiss him, you'll regret it!'_

So he doesn't.

He pulls himself back and looks at his worst temptation lying next to him, shirtless with messed up white hair and no one is allowed to look so good in that shagged look in the morning but he does.

"Good..morning," he awkwardly says, shuddering from how TaeYong's lips are hovering over his, he can feel the warmth blowing over his own and the previous urge to kiss him is a lot to fight against.

TaeYong removes his arm from over Yuta's waist, an odd amalgam of hurt and understanding in his eyes that digs a pit in Yuta's heart.

Neither of them bring that up.

 

 

 

  
"Honey I'm home!" Yuta singsongs as he revolves around the pillar before the main entrance. Somewhere in the back TaeYong lets out a disgruntled sound. A few days in and he's gotten used to the smell of scrumptious breakfast lying over the tiny counter after the morning jog (which was really an excuse to finding a corner in the building to watch anime) but then some parts of his days were amazing, like when he and TaeYong would sit together, do their own things and have a nice discussion neutrally about things once in a while. Yuta would often get carried away, talking about the places he's visited and TaeYong would fill in with information in between, making Yuta even more fascinated. It just so happened they avoided mentioning civil war and left conversations peaceful.

Normal days with TaeYong were these and these were nice to Yuta.

Even though he wouldn't say the nights matched up. TaeYong spent a large amount of time in the kitchen, putting hours of effort to make something delicious but he would never tell him that he did it all to get that captivating smile out of Yuta, and since he didn't spend all that time with Yuta in the day he decided that nightly cuddling was the only way to make up for it.

For Yuta, there was nothing to complain about. he couldn't possibly find anything to complain about TaeYong's warmth, how he'd press himself to his backside and mumble things in his sleep while holding him.

After tomorrow maybe, when the others arrive and both move into their respective rooms, maybe all of this newfound happiness is all going to morph back into the incessant fighting like before.

Yuta doesn't want it that way.

 _He's easy to get used to,_ Yuta thinks as he walks over to the kitchen, ear pods dangling out of ears. _Why didn't I try being friends with him before?_

What he sees before him, is a massive bushel of bouquets, besides an ungodly amount of corsages and then his heart skips a beat, _did TaeYong get all of this for me?_

"Ah so you like it?" He whispers into Yuta's ear making him nearly jump out of his skin.

"Yeah, of course. I like them a lot and why are you-" Yuta bites his tongue. TaeYong in a suit and standing impossibly close besides looking gorgeous beside him is unexpected.

"I know I clean up pretty well," he smirks when he notices Yuta's eyes have widened, "You don't have to sound all shocked."

"I think th-this is all very nice," Yuta slowly adds awkwardly averting the topic. TaeYong sneaks up from behind him slightly brushing against him.

"I have to tell you something," TaeYong says turning too serious for Yuta's peace of mind and it makes the younger think that this is the moment.

TaeYong turns to face him by the shoulders and his glassy eyes find his own. Yuta holds his breath but then lets it go when TaeYong takes too long to tell him.

"Did you know that Captain America gets shot in the comics?"

Yuta throws a vase at him.

 

 

 

  
"I didn't know doctor Banner had been training with us all this time. Pleasure to meet you-" TaeYong says mockingly and extends his hand in Yuta's direction to help him up but the younger slaps it away without hesitation.

"Why do you drop anger bombs at me? I flipping threw a _vase_ at you for that and besides," Yuta grumbles as he picks up the tiny bits of glass, "You know how I-"

"Feel about Captain America n' all yeah whatever but it's facts yo. Anyways, Johnny had ordered all this romantic flowery stuff. I just wanted to assemble it and see how it looks- pretty nice if I say so-"

"Why have you dressed up then?" Yuta asks not really desirous of an answer since he's quite enjoying the sight of TaeYong in a suit and slightly disappointed those flowers weren't from TaeYong.

"Am I not allowed to dress up?" TaeYong questions, hands on his hips. Yuta rolls his eyes and picks up the pieces of the broken vase which he's previously thrown at TaeYong.

"I'm going on a date, Yuta."

Yuta almost drops the glass piece again from his glove. _Is my heart supposed to hurt this way for him?_

Hiding his pain in anger and disapproval, Yuta grimaces and blurts, "Do you have permission..."

"Yup and you're coming with me. Car's waiting outside."

"But-"

"Chop chop. Get dressed in five."

"Why am I going?"

Yuta stares, left nonplussed. TaeYong pulls his arm, dragging him outside and speaking into his ear reassuringly, "It's a double date genius."

TaeYong's lips on his ear was all Yuta could think of throughout the car ride.

 

 

 

  
"I'll have the uh...TaeYong I can't pronounce this," Yuta whispers under his breath. The waiter politely asks him to hand over the menu and the rest of the order goes on in gesture-point language. TaeYong giggles as he watches Yuta turn in to a puddle of embarrassment, hiding his face in the plate.

"Stop laughing," Yuta growls but TaeYong only stares at him like some dreamy dolt, head balanced on his wrist. It's kind of insulting, TaeYong's french is perfect _(where does he get the time for all of this?)_ and it's equally disturbing in more way than one that TaeYong was over-enunciating the syllables, letting his tongue poke out a lot while placing his order just to make Yuta hot under the collar. TaeYong had said it was a date, Yuta didn't exactly care too much about whoever both were having as dates this night but it had been an hour already.

An hour already and that french accent still running like a sick remix in his head.

"I don't see anyone approaching; are we at the right place...?" Yuta asks, hoping to catch some breath from how uncomfortable he feels beside TaeYong.

"Well," TaeYong agrees and gets up, "I think we should move to a table for two."

Yuta narrows his eyes, suspiciously. "You're being- wait you already ordered the food and-"

His words die down in his throat as TaeYong takes his hand, guiding them to another table. He doesn't let go until Yuta's seated and dazed because they're now in a more private area, backed by scarlet curtains and the view of the city's making his heart jump from the height at which they were.

 _Bollocks, all of this,_ Yuta thinks even though he's stupidly happy with being treated this way, serenaded by the sight of the city and TaeYong with him accelerates the magic. He's always wanted to come here, and he might've mentioned it in passing to the members but it's unexpected TaeYong would actually be willing to bring him here, of all people. TaeYong's feline grin gets wider as their food arrives.

Halfway through finishing the tangled mess of vegetables on his plate, Yuta raises a question that has TaeYong suddenly sweating.

"You tricked me...to get me to go out with you?"

After a chorus of 'erm's and 'uh's Taeyong brings the drama geek in him alive in a poor effort to do away with the suffocating awkwardness.

“Sit by my side, and let the world slip: we shall ne'er be younger,” TaeYong recites spreading his hands dramatically. 

"I don't read Shakespeare and I'm sitting across you," Yuta says unimpressed.

"You should. What I mean is, I want you to have a good time," TaeYong confesses and there is something about the gleam in his eyes when he raises his glass to chime against Yuta's.

"To friendship?"

Yuta doesn't repeat, opting for an apprehensive nod instead.

With no clue and mixed feelings about the boy before him, picking a lobster apart with fork adorably, whom he wants so much that it's half-crazy how spending one week with someone can do to you. At this point Yuta considers he can be happy knowing he went on a dinner date with TaeYong.

But Yuta knew he surreptitiously wished for so much more.

 

 

  
"Why did you take me on a date? And for the record I'm still traumatised," Yuta says once they're casually walking to the parking lot. TaeYong sneezes and Yuta looks worried, but then proceeds to chiding him about how he shouldn't have lent his jacket earlier.

"I just thought...," TaeYong speaks into the wind and Yuta notices how their steps match.

"If I had less than a week to show someone who I care about that I really care about them although previously I was struggling with letting go of my ego- how would I do it?"

At this point TaeYong's walked ahead and is spinning with loquacious brio. "It all struck me- Expensive date to a posh place tadah, effective in getting someone while being a complete asshole- totally me at the same time."

The last part rolls off TaeYong's tongue like an infomercial and Yuta is bewildred. "Wow, that's your explanation? I'm amazed, you are a piece of work TaeYong," he tells him and walks past him. Yuta can only logically think that these feelings- romantic as it seemed that he'd developed for TaeYong were most certainly not going to be returned. TaeYong's merely treated him to a nice dinner as an obligatory gesture- not anything special.

It signifies nothing at all.

"I prefer piece of art, but listen, Yuta," TaeYong says yanking Yuta back by the wrist.

"I really care about you," he says and Yuta understands that this is where they'll apologise for fighting all this while and things will become peaceful. He gives TaeYong his signature smile, expecting one back but TaeYong is only staring, shifting closer.

"I know," Yuta tells him, looking sideways, "You look out for everyone. Thank you and I'm sorry for being mean and everything to you."

"No you- wait you don't get the underlying meaning behind the emphatic 'really' and- god, do I have to explain it now? for real? that's a strong 'really' okay? I _really_ care about you, Yuta how did you not get what I meant?"

"I'm not good with detecting ambiguity weirdo, and what other sense am I supposed to make of that anyways?"

TaeYong licks his lips, lost in thought and before Yuta can reach the car, he shouts in the empty parking lot, not caring whether the security heard him, "I think I like you!"

Yuta turns back to face him, he's got a half-shocked half-euphoric expression on his face and at a loss for words at how this feels wonderful, right out of a reverie.  
TaeYong walks slowly towards him as Yuta asks him, "How strong is that 'I think'?"

"Oh strong, you bet. Like vibranium."

"Vibranium is fictitious," Yuta laughs out at his ridiculous simile and his smile turns bigger when TaeYong wraps his arms around him, engulfing him in a long hug.

"Then I rephrase," TaeYong murmurs into Yuta's neck,"I like you. A lot."

Yuta weakly punches him before his hands move over to cup TaeYong's face,"Well you ought to."

TaeYong incredulously looks at him,"Y'know this is where you should've told me you like me back and we would’ve ki-" he stops once Yuta burst into hysterics, "Hey don't be an ass I need that kiss okay!"

"Well what do you expect me to say?" Yuta answers breathless, "A two page written confession or something?"

 _"You,_ are an undiscovered _genius_ , how about you start with how perfect I am-"

Yuta silences him with a short kiss, "I like you too, happy?"

TaeYong stares with an open mouth and Yuta laughs as he inches forward to place a satisfying kiss to his lips, sucking on his bottom lip and letting his hands run through TaeYong's silver hair as he lets him taste as much as he wanted to. Yuta figures TaeYong likes to dominate kisses, and with the way their lips move expertly, he can't find a thing a thing to complain about.

“That was…” Yuta exhales, breathless and TaeYong can’t really control himself from hauling him forward for another kiss, he’s finally the one who gets to kiss him and he’s going to exploit that privilege.

“Late,” TaeYong smirks as he replies, proceeding to drag Yuta’s hand towards the car.

Yuta would have punched him for making the world’s worst reference ever but he simply rolls his eyes.

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that"

 

 

  
**extra**

  
Some fine days Yuta will strum uselessly on Taeil's guitar and TaeYong would polish his vocal skills by singing along to it.

"I took a pill in Ibiza~"

“You've never been to Ibiza at all"

“To show Avicii I was cool~"

"You still aren't"

"And when I finally got sober felt ten years older~"

"But fuck it you were still an old man~"

"I'm living out in LA~"

"You wish"

"I drive a sports car just to prove~"

“You don't have a driver's license"

"I'm a real big baller cause I made a million dollars~"

“And spent it on febreeze~"

**Author's Note:**

> to all the people who've requested fics I am working on them! just uh...multitasking is going pretty slow so please bear with me TT i listened to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL9WytYcPgU) while writing


End file.
